Machine for automatically sorting plates or other articles according to weight



June 4, 1935. J 0 POWELL 2,003,722

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SORTING PLATES OR OTHER-ARTICLES ACCORDING TO WEIGHT Filed June 16, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 1935- J. o. POWELL 2,003,722

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SORTING PLATES OR OTHER ARTLGLES ACCORDING TO WEIGHT Filed June 16, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Avvavrafi /a,y- Ola/vile. POWELL.

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' 147' 0RNEYS.

June 1935- J. o. POWELL 2,003,722

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SORTING PLATES OR OTHER ARTICLES ACCORDING TO WEIGHT Filed June 16, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 j de 1 2 4 g Hill &

4770 NEYS Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE ING TO WEIGHT John Oliver Powell, Gorseinon, Swansea,

South I Wales Application June16, 1933, Serial No. 676,024

In Great Britain June 23, 1932 7 Claims. 7 01. 209-121) This invention relates to a machinefor classifyseparated batches according to their weight-and ceptacles may be provided if desired but in most to enable such sorting to be arranged so that selected plates or articles may be classified within certain predetermined weight limits and to enable such limits to be adjusted according to requirements. A further object is to provide a machine which may be readily set to any predetermined Weight and to operate within any predetermined limits without the necessity for any calculations on the part of the operator.

The present invention is characterized by a weighing device for use in sorting articles, being provided with means whereby a predetermined percentage difference between the weights of approximately correctly weighing articles and incorrectly weighing articles may be maintained substantially constant throughout various ad- 30 justments of the predetermined weight of article to which the apparatus can be set to operate.

Briefly a weight operated sorting machine according to one form of thepresent invention is characterized by means operable by the weight of each of the articles being sorted forautomatically selecting articles of approximately predetermined correct weight from the others, and means for selectively varying thepredetermined weight to which the apparatus will respond to 40 effect such selection ofarticles combined with means for compensating for adjustments in the said predetermined weight to permit of asub stantially constant percentage difference between the weights at which approximately correct articles are sorted from the others.

In carrying one form of this invention into practice the sheets or articles are delivered one at a time onto a pan, tray or receptacle carried by a weighing machine which" is preferably of 50 the beam type. The pan or'receptacle is preferably inclined. at an angle and provided witha movable stop against which the sheet or other article rests and which is adapted to be automatically moved at a predetermined time to.re-'

lease thesheet .or other article fordelivery to balance beam of the weighing machine.

one or'other of a number of trays or receptacles. The sheet or article when released from the'pan or receptacle of theweighing machine will be directed by a deflecting member to one of the various trays or receptacles according to its weight, and this deflecting member is automatically positioned by a weighing mechanism so that if the sheet or article is within the prede-' termined limits of weight it will be deflected into one trayor receptacle, if it is over weight it will be deflected into a second tray or receptacle, and if it is under weight it will be deflected into a third tray or receptacle. More trays or'recases three trays as described will be suitable. Combined with the weighing apparatus is a suitable means for. controlling the limits of weight of the sheets or articles over and under the correct desired weight which will be delivered to-the first tray or receptacle and over and under which the sheets or-articles will be rejected and delivered to the second or third trays or receptacles. Means isprovided for enabling the percentageweight limit to be adjusted as desired. A convenient arrangement may comprise a pendulum device connected to and operated by the The i pendulum device may be provided with a slidable weight adapted to be raised or lowered so as to vary the effective length of the pendulum and thisweight may be'so connected to a slider on the beam of the scale that the percentage variation in weight will remain substantially constant for any selected weight within the limits of the movement of the slider on the beam. The release of the sheets or articles from the pan or receptacle of the Weighing machine is efiected automatically by means of a mechanism adapted to be engaged with aconstantly driven shaft and adapted to actuate a cam device to operate the release stop as each sheet or article is weighed. The deflector plate for directing the weighed sheets or articles to the various trays or receptacles is also actuated mechanically and is set to a number of predetermined positions which will be determined by the position taken up by the beam of the weighing machine and which is also partially controlled by the pendulum device. vided through which a finger connected to the beam of the weighing machine may be inserted. If the finger passes through the opening then the deflector will be set to direct the sheets or articles into the first tray or receptacle intended to receive sheets or articles which are within An adjustable opening is pro percentage variation of weight may be set to any desired limit.

In order that my invention may be understoodand carried into practice, I will now describe by way of example a suitable manner Qfearr'ying the invention into practice as applied to a machine for use in connection with the classifying, I

sorting or separating of tin plate or other sheets according to weight, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;-

Fig. l is a side elevation view.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, and

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation view showing an alternative method of deflecting the sorted plates to their appropriate compartments.

Fig. 4 is a detail brokenside elevation view and Fig. 5 a plan view showing the controlling mech-" anism to a larger scale.

In the construction shown the sheets may be fed direct from the cleaning machine onto a pan I of the weighing machine, one method of supporting the pan being by legs and hinged links at one end of the beam of a beam weighing ma chine and hereinafter described. The legs and pan support maybe suitably strengthened by angle plates or other suitable reinforcing means. Tl e pan is arranged at asuitable angleto enable the sheets to slide'down its surface and is pro vided with a movable stop 2 against which the sheet rests whilst being weighed. This stop as shown may be a pair of fingers (see Fig. 2) fixed on a spindle 3 rotatably supported in lugs 4 so that it may be rotated through the medium of a pinion 5 fixed on it and meshing with a horizontally slidable rack B operated in a manner hereinafter described so as to enable the sheet to slide off the pan when thestop 2 is displaced and -to bedirected into the correct tray or receptacle.

The legs l supporting the pan are preferably arranged substantially parallel to the saddle 8 of the weighing machine and are formed with bosses la at their upper ends mounted on a transverse rod 9 on which is pivoted the pan I or frame.

adapted to carry the pan, a milled nut l0 threaded on one end of the rod 3 being adapted to press together to opposed serrated edges ll of a collar 12 and of one of the bosses la to clamp the pan I or frame carrying it at a selected angular posi-,

tion relatively to a scale beam l3. When a sheet is delivered onto the pan, it is fed over a roller l4 opposite the upper end of the pan, and this roller is free to be depressed downwards so as to operate via a link a lever l6 which is fulcrumed as at 1 to a convenient fixed portion of the machine and carries a suitable catch I8 so as to permit a ratchet faced clutch wheel l9 mounted upon a shaft 26 to be engaged with a corresponding ratchet faced clutch wheel 2| upon another shaft 22 which is constantly driven at a suitable speed froma-motor 23 and reduction gear 24. The wheel l 9 is splined, feathered. or mounted upon a square portion ofits shaft 20 so that it may slide thereon but cannot rotate relatively to the shaft.

Its engagement with the member 2| will therefore cause its shaft to-be rotated by the constantly rotating shaft 22. Suitable cams 25 and 26 are mounted on this shaft and the rotation of the shaft and cams will effect the. necessary movements to weigh and sort each sheet delivered onto the pan. When the driven shaft has almost completed a revolution or cycle a projection 2? on its ratchet faced clutch wheel I3 will engage against an inclined face 28a on a catch 28 pivotally mounted at Ila with the result that the ratchet wheel I3 will be disengaged from the corresponding ratchet wheel 2! on the driving shaft and will be brought to rest against a stop 281) on the catch 28. A small catch or spring may be provided to prevent accidental movement in the reverse direction thus preventing engagement of the ratchet wheel except when required. The driven shaft and cams will now remain stationary until another sheet is fed onto the pan when a fresh cycle of weighing and sorting will be effected.

The balance or weighing device used may be of the compound unequal-armed type. The long arm of the beam 29 may be provided with numberedv graduations as shown according to the weights of the sheets. is mounted on the long arm and may be moved along the graduated scale to a position corresponding to any desired weight of sheet, and convenient means may be provided for fixing the sliding counterpoise in any desired position. The balance or beam 29 may have its fulcrum or knife edges 3! supported on seatings 32 on a suitable upright 33 and the weight end of the balance or A sliding co'unterpoise 33 beam also has knife edges 34 supporting on bearings the saddle 8 having the legs 1 and a stay 35 and a rod suspended from the saddle may be connected to a suitable dash pot device 36 carried by theforked upper end of a fixed Z-shaped bracket Tothe, balance or beam is fixed above its fulcrum' an. L-shaped bracket 31 the free end of which is formed with a boss rotatably supporting a vertical rod 38 threaded through a suitable pendulum Weight 39 which is mounted so as to slide vertically on two guide rods 40 depending from the beam 29 or its bracket 3?. A milled head 4| enables the rod 38 to be rotated to simultaneously feed the weights 38 and 39 towards or away from the point of fulcrum of the beam. The counterpoise weight and pendulum weight are interconnected in such a manner that when the beam 29 is at its zero position or on the point of balance when the machine is unloaded the pendulum weight is located with its centre of gravity in line with the fulcrum knife edges or pivotal point of the beam. The rod 38 carries a bevel pinion 42 meshing with another one 43 on a feed screw 45 supported at one end in the bracket 31 and at its other end in a'lug 44 on the beam, this feed screw being threaded through the counterpoise 30 so that simultaneously with theraising of the pendulum weight 39 the counterpoise 30. is fed towards the fulcrum of the'beam.

The movable pendulum weight acts to contro the percentage under or over weight of the selected sheets and when the sliding counterpoise weight is at its zero load position then the pendulum weight may also be at its zero position. The action is such as togive automatically the same percentage of over or under weight for any given weight of plate, the pendulum Weight moving as the sliding counterpoise weight is moved along the graduated arm of the beam so as to maintain the percentage constant. The amount of percentage in over and under weight will be dependent on the weight of the pendulum weight and its angular travel.

From the long arm of the beam is suspended a rod 46 on which isjmounteda blade finger 41. The suspended rod and .bladeflnger are free to, move vertically with the'movement of the beam until a sheet has been weighed. Then the cam 25 which is rotated by'the driving shaft through the engagement of the ratchet wheels l9 and. 2| will press against a spring loaded sliding block 48 between which and a block 49 similarly supported is loosely gripped the rod 46. If the .weight of the sheet is within the percentage limit the machine has been set to, the blade finger 41 of the suspension rod willpass between suitably arranged sliding blocks 50 and 5| guided on rods 53, and no movement will be given to a sheet guide or deflecting member 52 arranged so as to receive and deflect the sheet when released from the pan of the weighing machine. Under such conditions'the deflecting memberis located so that the sheet will be directed into a tray or receptacle 59 intended to collect sheets which are of the correct weight within the prescribed percentage weight limits. Should the sheet be over the percentage weight limit the blade finger 41 will strike against one of the two sliding blocks .50 and 5| moving it so as to impart movement to a horizontal lever 54 pivoted at 55 and connectedto a connecting rod 56 connected to a depending crank 51 of the sheet guide or deflector'52 so that this will be moved to a position to guide or deflect the overweight sheet into a tray or receptacle 60a intended to collect the overweight sheets. If'the sheet is under weight then the blade finger will strike against the other sliding block 5| andthe movement imparted to the sheet guide or deflector will be such as to cause the sheet to be directed into a tray or receptacle 6|] intended for the collection of under weight sheets. The sheet guide or deflector may comprise a plate pivoted along one edge 52a adjacent to the lower end of the pan or receptacle of the weighing machine so that when the stop thereon is moved to release the sheet from the pan or receptacle it will-slide onto the sheet guide or deflector. The guide or deflector is set to one of three positions according to whether the blade finger passes through the gap between the sliding blocks or whether it strikes against one or other of the sliding blocks. These positions are so arranged that the sheet will be guided or deflected according to whether it is within the prescribed limits or weights or whether it is over the prescribed limits so that'the sheets will be collected in separate trays or receptacles.

The sliding blocks are preferably arranged so that their sliding movement is in asubstantially horizontal plane on the rods 53 and they carry vertical striking posts 50a and 5|a to engage the lever 54. They are however, mounted so as to be adjustable in a substantially vertical direction so as to enable the gap between them to be increased or decreased. This will enable the percentageof under or over weight of the selected sheets to be adjusted to any desired extent within the limits allowed by the weight of the pendulum device. A suitable means for adjusting the gap between the sliding blocks consists in mounting the rods 53 carrying them in suitable collars 62 adapted to be moved towardor away from each other for example by means of a left and right handed screwthread 63 adapted to be rotated by handthrough the medium of a suitable hand wheel or the like and threaded through said'collars which are on the ends of arms 62a sliding up and down a rod 64. The percentage under or over weight to which the device is set may be indicated by means of a pointer. or hand 65 suitably pivotedon a support and adapted to move overa graduated scale 66. The movement may be imparted to the hand by means of a flexible ligature 14 connected to the upper of the slidingblocks 62 and carried round a small wheel l5'fixedto the spindle 16 of. the

hand 65. A clock spring is provided with the said.

. spindle to hold the ligature 14 taut.

In a machine for use in connection with tin plate sheets, the drive for the machine can be taken from the cleaning machine or further-a suitable electric or other motor or from a line shaft or other suitable gearing. Suitable gear-' ing may be employed so that the rotatingparts of theweighing machine will be driven 'at a desired slow speed for example about 40 or 60 revolutions per minute. This speed may be greater or less if desired.

The operation of the weighing and sorting machine is as follows:-

A sheet is fed from the cleaning machine rollers onto the pan of the weighing machine. Under its weight the roller l4 and link 15 will move relatively to the beam of the weighing machine operating the catch 26 to enable the clutch. wheelsv l9 and 2| to engage so that the driven shaft 2|) of the weighing machine will be coupled with the rotating driving shaft 22. Duringthe first part of the revolution of the driven" shaft the sheet is weighedand when this has been effected the cam '25 on the driven shaft will act upon a pusher member moving the suspension rod 46 and the blade finger 41 toward the sliding blocks 5|] 5| previouslyreferred to; If the sheet is over weight the finger 41 will strike against the upper block 50 and if under weight the blade 'finger 41 will strike against the block 5| the movement of which will be transferred by the member 54, rod 56 and crank 51 to the guide or deflector 52 so as to set it to a position to direct the weighed sheet into the tray or receptacle intended to receive the over or under weight sheets. The sheetguide or de-' flector 52 and the suspension rod with its'blade finger 41 are held in this position whilst a cam 26 on the driven shaft engages against and operates a lever 68 giving movement to a connect-' ing rod 69 which is connected to a depending arm 61; of the slidingrack 6 so as to move the stop 2 on the pan or receptacle. This stop is moved: out of the way of the sheeton the tray or recep tacle which is thus permittedrto slide onto the sheet guide or deflector 52 by which it is directed into its correct tray or receptacle. If the weight of the sheet is within the prescribed weight limits then the sheet guide or deflector is left in its normal 'or intermediate position which will be such as to deflect or guide the sheet when released from the pan or receptacle into the tray or receptacle 59 intendedto collect the sheets which are within the prescribed weight limits. During further revolution of the driven shaft the cams release the respective levers which are returned to their normal positions by a suitable spring 18 connectedto the rod 56 and the weight of the pan I acting through the member 6 on the rod 69 by means of meshing'pinion 5. As the cycle of movement is completed the stud 21' on' the ratchet clutch wheel l9 on-the driven shaft travels along the deflecting surface 28a and en! gages the stop 28?) whereby the wheel I9 is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 2| on the driving shaft; Spring 6a is provided for returning rack barv 6 to its normal'position.

Under usual conditions the weighing machine will be weighing the same weight of sheetsfor long periods and it is therefore not necessary 2 to have a quick sliding movement to the counter poise weight!!! on the beam. The counterpoise weight may therefore be provided with a suitable slow motion device for adjusting it along the beam. I 7

It is not necessary to have the same length of travel for the counterpoise weight and the Jpercentage pendulum weight provided that they are arranged to move in the same ratio and to end their travel together for zero weight position and 'zero percentage position. If desired the pendulum weight may be adjustable independently of the counterpoise weight, for example by removing the pinions 42 and 43 and rotating the screws 38 and 45 independently.

Instead of employinga single angularly ad-- justable guide 52 theplates' maybe delivered :from the pan I (see Fig. 3) on to an open frame 19 provided with two doors Hand 12 pivoted at Ha and. 12a respectively and normally closing-' the tops of two shutes 'IIb and 12b down which the plates above and below the correct weight .are allowed to fall, the correctly weighing plates sliding over the doors "H and 12 on to a chute 13. In this arrangement the aforementioned cam operated lever 54 would be replaced by two levers individually operated by the sliding blocks 59 and 5| and individuallyconnected'by connectmeans for selectively varying the predetermined 1 correct weight of the articles to be sorted to which the apparatus will respond to sort. those articles of approximately correct weight from the others and means for adjusting the percentageweight limit, said means forselectively vary- ,ing the predetermined correct'weight of the article to be sorted comprising a pair of spaced abutments, an arm "pivotally depending from a part of the weighing apparatus which ismoved to an extent proportional to theweight of the article being sorted, a blade carried by said arm.

and located opposite the space between said abutments, a shaft automatically set into rotation when an article is delivered to the apparatusfor weighing, means with said shaft to move said armtowards the said abutments', the said blade being adapted to engage and displace one of said 1 abutments if thearticle being weighed is above predetermined correct weight, and the other, abutment if the article is below correct weight,

and a deflecting device adjusted to various positions by the movement of said abutments to effect sorting of the articles.

2. For use in apparatus for sorting articles by weight, a weighing device-providedwith means 'whereby apredeterminedpercentage difference between the weights of approximately correctly 1 weighing articles and incorrectly weighing ,articles may be maintained substantially constant throughout various adjustments of the predetermined weight of article to which the apparatus can be set to operate, such. weighing device comprising. a balanced beam a counterpoise weight slidable on said beam, a pendulum weight adjustable towards and awayfrom the fulcrum of the beam for compensating'for variations in the predetermined correct weight at which articles are sorted, said pendulum weight depending from the fulcrum point of the beam and means for adjusting it up and down simultaneously with linear adjustment of the counterpoise weight, feed screws threaded through said two weights, said feed screws being geared together for simultaneous rotation from a common operating member.

3. In apparatus' for automatically sorting articles by weight, weighing means and a sorting device operated from the weighing means, means for selectively varying the predetermined correct weight of the articles to be sorted to which the apparatus will respond to sort those articles of approximately correct weight from the others and means for adjusting the percentage weight limit. adjustable synchronously with said weighing means, an inclined pan adapted to receive the article to be weighed, a stop at the lower end of said inclined pan adapted to arrest motion of theindividual articles pending a weighing operation, and means to automatically move said stop to release the article consequent upon the weighing mechanism being moved by, the weight of the article.

4. Sorting apparatus comprising a beam weighing machine in which the beam has a relatively adjustable counterpoise weight and is counter-balanced by a relatively adjustable pendulum weight,

' a shaft and means for rotating it continuously during weighing operations, a clutch for connectingsaid shaft to'a further shaft, means for engaging saidclutch automatically consequent upon the delivery of an article on to the machine,

a pan adapted to receive the article and adjustably connected to said beam, a stop at one end of said pan adapted to hold each article upon the pan pending a weighing operation, means operable from said further shaft for moving said stop to releasethe weighed article, and bifurcating or guiding means automatically moved to bifurcate or guide the weighed article into one of a number ,of delivery points automatically operated from said further shaft, and also means for varying the percentage above and below correct weight at which articles are adapted to be sorted.

5. In apparatus for sorting articles by weight, means operable by the weight of each of the articles being sorted for automatically selecting articles of approximately predetermined correct weight from the others, a pendulum weight beam, an adjustable weight thereon for selectively varying the predetermined weight to which the apparatus will respond to efiect such selection of articles combined with a pendulum weight connected to said beam and adjustable for compensating for adjustments in the said predetermined weight topermit of a substantially constant percentage difference between the weights 7 at which approximately correct articles are sorted from the others, means connecting said two weights so that they are adjusted simultaneously and synchronously and means for varying the percentage difference between the weights at which approximately correct articles are sorted from the others, said latter means comprising adjustably spaced members connected to the sorting device and adapted to individually impart a sorting operation to the sorting device and means selectively bringing said members into operation according to the weight of the article being weighed.

6. In apparatus for automatically sorting articles by weight, weighing means comprising a pan and a balance beam, a member displaceable by the weight of each article and over which the articles are fed to the pan, means for releasing the articles from said pan, means operable by the weight of each article for delivering the said released articles to different collecting points according to whether or not the article is of predetermined average weight or above or below such weight, a rotating prime mover and a driven rotary member adapted to be connected to the rotary prime mover, means operable under the influence of the movement imparted to said displaceable member by reason of the weight of the said article to establish said connection of said prime mover and driven rotary member, an abutment movable with said beam under the influence of the weight of the article in the said pan and a pair of co-operating abutments adapted to be individually engaged by and spaced either side of the first mentioned abutment the engagement being in accordance as to whether or not the weight of the article is above or below the said average, the said second mentioned abutments being individually displaceable by the engagement there-' with of the first mentioned abutment, means with said driven member to move the first mentioned abutment against either of the other abutments, and means for transmitting motion from said second mentioned abutments to said means for delivering the articles from the scale pan to said collecting point.

7. In apparatus for automatically sorting articles by weight, weighing means comprising a pan and a balance beam, a member displaceable by the weight of each article and over which the articles are fed to the pan, means for releasing the articles from said pan, means operable by the weight of each article for delivering the said released articles to difierent collecting points according to whether or not the article is of predetermined average weight or above or belowsuch weight, a rotating prime mover and a driven rotary member adapted to be connected to the rotary prime mover, means operable under the infiuence of the movement imparted to said displaceable member by reason of the weight of the said articles to establish said connection of said prime mover and driven rotary member, an abutment movable with said beam under the influence of the weight of the article in the said pan and a pair of co-operating abutments adapted to be individually engaged by and spaced either side of the first mentioned abutment the engagement being in accordance as to whether or not the weight of the article is above or below the said average, the said second mentioned abutments being individually displaceable by the engagement therewith of the first mentioned abutment, means with said driven member to move the first mentioned abutment against either of the other abutments,

means to efiect a fine adjustment of the spacing of said pair of abutments, an arm depending from said beam carrying said first mentioned abutment, means on said driven member to swing said arm with its said abutment towards the other said abutments, a rod and a still further abutment carried thereby and selectively engaged by all the aforementioned said abutments, said rod being operatively connected to and actuating said means for delivering the articles to different collecting points.

JOHN OLIVER POWELL. 

